Having an issue with one of our hives in New Jersey.· Low population· very calm· no brood/sign of recent laying· Loads of pollen, some nectar· 2 jam packed honey supers· Some brown spotting on framesI performed the Nosema diagnosis of removing the abdomen of a bee, but it told me very little, and I saw a post suggesting it’s a very unreliable test.Any ideas what it may be?

It is very important for you to control pests in your home. Certain pests require particular kinds of medications. Besides this, regular application of substances is also a must. That is why it is best to choose the services of an exterminator. Choose a service that has wide experience in the field of pest control and working with pests.

It is propolis. The propolis foragers bring it back and put it on the top bars in piles. The wax workers sometimes put cell like shapes in it and sometimes not. The workers USING the propolis will go to those "depots" and get propolis for reinforcing cells and comb and for coating everything and polishing everything.

Huber's New Observations Upon Bees, Chapter VI: "Combs are coated in propolis which gives resilience. "In examining the orifices of the yellow cells, we perceived that their circumference was coated with a reddish unctuous, odoriferous varnish, and we recognized, as we thought, the resin called propolis. Afterwards it appeared not to be restricted to the orifices, that reddish threads were sometimes found on their inner walls, upon the rhombs or trapezes; this solder, placed at the points of contact of different pieces, and at the summit of their angles, appeared to help in strengthening the cells; one would sometimes notice one or two reddish zones around the axis of the longest cells: when the bees are short of wax, they are sometimes compelled to interrupt their work; when a more ample supply enables them to laborate the material, they resume the work; it is probably during this interruption that they varnish the edges of the cell, and when the latter have been lengthened, they retain traces of the material with which they had been coated.These peculiarities had evidently not struck any of the naturalists who wrote upon bees; they knew that propolis was used to coat the inside of the hive; but they were not aware of this resin being used in the building of the cells; this was worth verifying. I made sure of it by comparative experiments, using the ordinary reagents. "The propolis taken from the walls of the hive and from the edges of the red-colored cells, submitted to the action of ether, alcohol or oil of turpentine, imparted a golden color to these liquids. The brown matter of the cells was dissolved by them, even when cold. The orifices of cells, in either alcohol or turpentine, retained the cell shape and their yellow tint after losing the varnish that coated them. Those placed in ether also lost the red varnish, they became bleached shortly after and disappeared when the wax was dissolved.The coloring matter of the cells orifices, exposed to a mild heat, became soft and could be drawn into threads; the propolis of the walls did likewise. Nitrous acid, at a low heat, poured on both whitened the yellow wax in a few minutes, but the varnish of the orifices and masses of propolis underwent no alterations. "Other orifices, put into boiling water, displayed a curious peculiarity; after the wax in them was melted the varnish remained entire above it, on the cake which it formed, without losing its hexagonal contour, while its diameter seemed a little enlarged.Fixed caustic alkali which changes wax into a kind of soap, has no effect upon propolis; we tried its action upon very old cells which had already served as cradles to a number of larvae, the cocoons with which they were lined hiding the varnish and the wax upon which they had been molded. The primary effect of the alkaline wash was to dissolve the wax by combining with it, separating it from the silky cocoons; then it bleached the cocoons, which are naturally of brown color and gave them the appearance of gauze: they retained the shape of the cells; the reddish threads then appeared, for they were not dissolved, and remained upon the outer edges of the cocoons, just in the way that they had been placed by the bees in the furrows formed by the junction of the different pieces which composed the cells. These threads of propolis were finally separated from the cocoons, but they were not altered by remaining several months in the solution."...

"How bees distribute propolis. "So we peopled a hive so prepared as to fulfill our views. The bees, building upwards, soon reached the glass, but unable to quit their habitations on account of supervening rains, they were three weeks without bringing home any propolis. Their combs remained perfectly white until the beginning of July, when the atmosphere became more favorable for our observations. Serene weather and high temperature engaged them to forage; and they returned from the fields laden with this resinous gum resembling transparent jelly; with the color and luster of the garnet it was easily distinguished from the farinaceous pellets then brought home by other bees. The workers bearing propolis joined the clusters hanging from the ceiling of the hive, we saw them travel through the outside of these clusters; after reaching the supports of the combs, they appeared to rest, sometimes they stopped on the walls, waiting for their companions to relieve them of their burden. We actually saw two or three approach them and carry the propolis away with their teeth. The upper part of the hive exhibited the most animated spectacle, thither a host of bees resorted from all quarters, the distribution and application of the propolis being then their predominant occupation; some conveyed between their teeth the material which they had secured from the purveyors and deposited it upon the frames and supports of the combs; others hastened to spread it out like a varnish before it hardened, or formed it into strings proportioned to the interstices of the walls of the hives to be puttied up. Nothing could be more diversified than their operations; but we were most interested in the art which they used in applying propolis on the inside of the cells. Those which appeared to be charged with this task were easily distinguished from the multitude of workers because their heads were turned towards the horizontal pane. Upon reaching it, they deposited the propolis in the middle of the interval separating the combs. Then we saw them apply this substance in the real place of its destination; taking advantage of the points of support which its viscosity supplied, they appeared to hang to it with the claws of their posterior legs, seemingly swinging themselves under the pane of glass; the effect of this motion was to carry their body backwards and forward and at each motion we saw the lump of propolis come nearer to the cells; the bees used their anterior legs to sweep together that which had been detached and to unite these fragments upon the surface of the glass; the latter recovered its transparency when all the propolis was brought to the mouth of the cells. A few bees entered the cells located against the glass; it was there that I expected to see them at leisure: they brought no propolis, but they cleaned and polished the cell with their teeth worked in the angular corners, making them thicker, smoothed the rough edges; while the antennae appeared to feel the way; these organs located in front of their jaws evidently enable them to notice such projecting molecules as must be removed. "After one of these workers had smoothed down the wax in the angle of a cell, she emerged from the cell backwards and having approached a heap of propolis, she drew out a thread of it with her teeth; this being broken off by a quick motion of the head, it was taken in the claws of the forefeet and the bee re-entered the cell which she had just prepared. She did not hesitate but immediately placed it in the angle of the two parts that she had just smoothed, but she probably found it too long for the space required, for she cut away a piece of it; both of her front feet were used to fit it and stretch it between the two walls; and her teeth worked to imbed it in the angular furrow to be lined. After these diverse operations, the thread of propolis evidently appeared too large for her taste; she raked it over with the same instruments and at each time removed a parcel of it: when the work was completed, we admired the accuracy with which it was adjusted between the two walls of the cell. The worker did not stop there, turning to another part of the cell, she worked with her jaws upon the edges of the two other trapezes and we understood that she was preparing a spot to be covered with another thread of propolis. No doubt she was about to help herself out of the heap from which she had taken it previously; but contrary to our expectation she availed herself of the portion of the thread cut off from the first bit, arranged it in the ap-pointed space and gave it all the solidity and finish of which it was susceptible. Other bees finished the work began by this one, all the cell walls were soon encircled with threads of propolis, while some were also put on the orifices; but we could not seize the moment when they were varnished, though it may be easily conceived how it was done."

More from Huber's New Observations on Bees, Vol II, Chapter VI: "Bees tear down the foundations of the new comb and reinforce it with a mixture of propolis and wax. "Shortly after the bees had finished the new combs, a manifest disorder and apparent agitation prevailed in the hive. The bees appeared directed by a sort of fury against their own combs; the cells of the first row, the structure of which we so greatly admired, were scarcely recognizable; thick and massive walls, heavy and shapeless pillars were substituted for the slight partitions which the bees had previously built with such regularity at the beginning; the substance of them had changed along with the form, being apparently composed of wax and propolis. From the perseverance of the workers in these devastations, we suspected that they intended some useful alteration in their architecture.Our attention was drawn to the least damaged cells; some were still untouched, but the bees soon rushed precipitately upon them, destroyed the vertical walls of the cells, broke up the wax and cast aside the fragments. But we noticed that the trapezes of the bases of the first row were untouched; they did not tear down at the same time the corresponding cells on both faces of the comb; they labored alternately upon each of its faces, leaving to it a part of its natural supports, otherwise the combs would have fallen down, which was not their object; they wished, on the contrary, to provide a more solid base, and prevent their fall, by making these joints with a substance the tenacity of which infinitely surpasses that of beeswax. "The propolis which they used in this occasion had been deposited in a mass over a cleft of the hive, and had hardened in drying, which perhaps rendered it more suitable for the purpose intended than fresh propolis would have been. "Bees add secretions to propolis. "These insects had some difficulty in removing it from the wall, on account of its hardness; we thought that they were impregnating it with the same frothy matter from the tongue, which they used to make wax more ductile, and that this process served to soften and detach it. Mr. de Réaumur had observed something similar in a like occasion. "Observing bees mixing wax with propolis. "We distinctly observed these bees mixing fragments of old wax with the propolis, kneading the two substances together to amalgamate them. They used this in rebuilding the cells that had been destroyed; but they did not follow the ordinary rules of their architecture; economy was entirely set aside; they were occupied alone with the solidity of their edifice; night intervening prevented us from following their maneuvers, but the following day we were able to judge of the result which confirmed what we have just mentioned.These observations teach us that there is an epoch in the labor of bees, when the upper braces of their combs are con-structed simply of wax, as Réaumur believed, and that after all the requisite conditions have been attained; the base is con-verted to a mixture of wax and propolis, as published by Pliny, so many centuries before us. (The change made in the structure of the cells of the first row does not take place at a particular time. It depends perhaps upon the several circumstances which are not always together. We sometimes see the bees satisfied by bordering the edges of the upper cells with propolis without altering their shape and without adding to their thickness.) "Bees reinforce combs after they are built. "This trait in the conduct of bees explains the apparent contradiction, in the writings of these two naturalists. The first row of cells, built to serve as a base for the subsequent cells, was temporarily established, to carry the edifice as long as the magazines were not quite full: but those light plates of wax would have been insufficient to sustain a weight of several pounds. The bees appear to anticipate the eventual inconven-ience: so they soon destroy the too frail walls of the first row, leaving untouched the trapezes of their bases, and substitute, in the place of these light walls, strong pillars, heavy walls of a viscous and compact substance.But this is not the utmost extent of their foresight. When they have enough wax, they make their combs of the breadth necessary to reach with their edges the vertical walls of the hive. They know how to solder them against the wood or glass by structures approaching more or less the shape of cells, as circumstances admit. But if the supply of wax falls before they have been able to give a sufficient diameter to the combs whose edges are still rounded, these combs, being only fastened at the top, leave large voids between their oblique edges and the hive walls; they might break down by the weight of the honey, did not the bees provide against it, by building great pieces of wax, mixed with propolis, between their edges and the hive walls; these pieces are of irregular form, strangely hollowed out and their cavities are not symmetrical. The following happening, in which the instinct of bees is still better displayed, is a development of their particular art in solidifying their magazines."

"So we peopled a hive so prepared as to fulfill our views. The bees, building upwards, soon reached the glass, but unable to quit their habitations on account of supervening rains, they were three weeks without bringing home any propolis."

People used to write much more formally in books than they do now and that crosses every subject you care to think of from engineering to philosophy, law and, apparently, to beekeeping. Its easy to forget that people hundreds of years ago were just as smart as us. We fall into the trap, as every generation does, of thinks the advanced technology around us makes us smarter. Its just not so and when I think of the hours this guy must have put into monitoring his hives and taking copious quantities of notes and then compiling it all into books by hand, impressive stuff. We'd have a team of researchers in a university somewhere do it now with spreadsheets and databases.

I think you can also call bee exterminators to do this. One of my friend work with [url=http://www.yalepest.com/]bee exterminator, who told me that DIY methods are sometimes dangerous, but if you have right skills you can do that, otherwise calling a professional would be a wise choice.

Last edited by SheldonAndrews on Sat May 07, 2016 12:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.

SheldonAndrews wrote:I think you can also call bee exterminators to do this. One of my friend work with bee exterminator near Fairfield County CT, who told me that DIY methods are sometimes dangerous, but if you have right skills you can do that, otherwise calling a professional would be a wise choice.